WV Aboriginal Education Committee
Hollyburn Elementary School’s Plan – 2015-16
School FN Committee/Contact Person(s):
Contact:
Tara Zielinski, Principal
Committee:
Jeff Muthanna, Lorraine Hartley, Doni Gratton, Erin Rochfort, Cynthia Fairbank (teachers);
Sara Eilers (EA);
TBD (Students)
FN Resource Contact Person(s):
Lynne Tomlinson, Carol Langley, Jada White-Harry (Krystel Farina)
FN Education Projects/Programs Planned for 2015/2016
 Staff Book Study (The Orenda, by Joseph Boyden) over the summer of 2015;
 “Teaching Mathematics in a First Peoples Context" – Professional Development Session
led by S. Forward to support the new BC Draft Curriculum in First Peoples’ Principles and
natural and authentic ways to weave this in;
 Farm to School (connections to ‘place’ and ‘natural world’) and Whole Foods
Partnership – teaching sustainability, eco-footprint, animal treatment;
 Garden Initiative with Farm to School – indigenous plants to refocus our community
garden space (Cec Wyess – medicinal gardens);
 Outdoor Education and connecting to our land and sense of place – Innovation Grants
and teacher pro-d on Reggio Emilio inspired opportunities (environment as the teacher)
– beach walks and park visits;
 Continued focus on self-regulation and making connections to ‘what we need to be
calm’;
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 Year on a Page – planning documents for curriculum alignment and adoption of new BC
Curriculum Scope and Sequence with Aboriginal connections at each Grade
(transdisciplinary and inquiry-based);
 Direct links between First peoples’ Principles and our Kindergarten Unit of Inquiry on
‘Communities’;
 Kindergarten Graduation – walk to Ambleside with “Wishing Stones”;
 Visits to the UBC Museum of Anthropology;
 Residential Schools – connecting to new BC curriculum and supporting the messaging
around our history (Faye Halls = contact/liaison support);
 Student Leadership Opportunities – collaboration and connection with teacher-librarian
and First Nations’ literature during collab blocks;
 Continue with ‘Project Heart’ work; extend to other classes through example;
 Storytellers and historians to share the context of our school site utilizing story, dance,
and masks (Klothbi/Chuck Sam – artist and close connection to one of our Hollyburn
families);
 Continue with the new tradition of Sports Day being connected to First nations
symbolism and drumming (as per June 2015);
 Address the significance of the Squamish Nation Drummers more intentionally at the
Hollyburn/SD45/WVPD Pink Day Community Day Parade kick-off assembly;
 Continue into Year Two with our Whole School Inquiry into First Peoples’ Principles
(see below);
 Continue with students’ Authentic Action Wall, as well as gallery walks/posts to
continue to elicit connections and questions to deepen First Nations understandings.
Community Partnerships
 Family Members of Hollyburn Aboriginal students – volunteering, sharing;
 Story-tellers and Historians (as mentioned above);
 Squamish Nation representatives (carving, history, artists);
 SD45 Aboriginal Success teacher (Jada White-Harry);
 Possible ways to highlight the First Nations presence at Hollyburn:
o Website to consider before the logo and carving are presented:
www.xwalacktun.ca
 K-7 support for step-by-step drawing/sketching Aboriginal symbols
o Carving or Mosaic for front entrance (Wes Nahanee – did the carving @ RI)
 MOSAIC: http://artstarts.com/aicd/bill-hoopes---hoopesdreams
 CARVING:http://www.bclocalnews.com/community/123626454.html
 Gerald Morrisseau;
 Alice S. (drummer, artifacts, basket weaving, guided nature walks);
 ‘Intercultural Outdoor Playground Games Training’ - through a district connection,
intermediate student leaders will be trained in all kinds of outdoor playground games,
including Aboriginal games, to share with the students and staff at our school.
Activities, events, speakers, presentations, projects etc. that have occurred at our location
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over the past two years
 Family Feast (in North Vancouver, Autumn 2012, 2013, Spring 2015);
 Outdoor School (every 2 years) for Grades 6/7;
 Takaya Tours (every two years for intermediate students) – canoeing and indigenous
plants;
 Grouse Mountain Aboriginal Long House experience (Grades 1/2);
 Incorporation of First Nations Shared Learning document (Principles and Assumptions)
through:
o Literature Studies;
o Science and Visual Arts – Grade 6/7 multi-media Aboriginal Art;
o Cultural performance (dancers);
 Farm to School – local growing and connections to the earth;
 Math Curriculum embedded with First Nations Principles;
 International Luncheon – Squamish Nation recognized (bannock);
 Innovation Grant on Social Studies, Inquiry, and a First Nations’ lens;
 Innovation Grant on Outdoor Education and its benefits to learning;
District Support accessed last year
 See above
Resources needed for this year
Support and expertise of the following community members:
 Bob Baker (story-telling and dance);
 Carver/Mosaic Artist;
 Squamish Nations representatives to work with classes on inquiry and our Farm to
School Grant (work in our garden);
 Access to the district Cedar Box resource;
 SD45 Aboriginal Success teacher connections at Hollyburn;
 Continued support from all First Nations community members in connecting with our
school and teaching and growing along-side of us;
 Continued District support of our school’s important work is this area.
WHOLE SCHOOL INQUIRY – SUPPLIMENTAL DOCUMENT
Hello Hollyburn!
January, 2015
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As you are well aware, the B.C. Draft Curriculum contains content, concepts and competencies
involving a greater awareness and acknowledgement of Indigenous ways of knowing and
understanding our world.
In response to our previous staff meeting reflection on Aboriginal content (what we “Know,
Worry and the Learning Resources”) we wanted to facilitate the addition and exploration of this
curricula in an authentic and manageable way. The Aboriginal Enhancement Committee is
excited to share our plans for the 2015 school year.
WHAT?
We are launching a school wide inquiry into one of the First People’s Principles of Learning
(see below, under ‘resources’).
Our inquiry will be supported through:
The access of resources that have been kindly collated and collected by Doni and Jada Harry;
The provision of a School-Wide Inquiry Unit. Please see below for the Big Idea (taken directly
from the First People’s Principles of Learning as mentioned above) , Lines of Inquiry , and
Essential Questions (created by your AbEd Committee).
BIG IDEA: Learning is embedded in memory, history, and story.
Lines of Inquiry:
We learn about ourselves and our community through story.
Art reveals meaning and experience.
Land connects us to history.
Essential Questions:
What is your story?
What stories do your family share?
Where do stories come from?
What connections do you make to the story?
How does the art speak to you?
What story is the art telling us?
What story is in your art?
What is your connection to the land?
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How has land changed over time?
What is the role of the land in history?
HOW?
An Inquiry board will be located outside the office with the big idea and
lines of inquiry posted to identify this shared focus as a goal during this
school year. It will be added to as our Inquiry unfolds;
School wide assemblies and designated time for prepared school-wide
learning engagements.
WHEN?
To provide clarity, the following outline will accent the upcoming focal points for these
assemblies/engagements:
When
What
How
Friday, Jan.
9th
10:45am
Gymnasium
First WholeSchool
Assembly
(Inquiry Launch)
During this assembly we will share the following
video short as a provocation to spark interest:
Jan. 12-15th
Share the big
idea (Learning is
embedded in
memory,
history, and
story) and lines
of inquiry with
the students.
In-Class
Exploration and
Reflections
Flight of the Hummingbird-Haida Manga:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=naj6zZakgEg
We ask that there is a REFLECTION at the end of
the engagement. Please consider using the
format of gathering students into a talking circle
(see below).
An envelope will be passed around the school
with a book for you to read with your class:
The Little Hummingbird written by Michael Nicoll
Yagulanaas (A local Bowen Island artist and
author)
Please ensure that you check off your name once
you have read it with your class and pass it along
to someone else on the list.
Inside this envelope will be paper for you to
record your student’s wonderings. Please place
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the wonderings back into the envelope and pass
it on! These will be added to our School Inquiry
Wall.
We ask that there is a REFLECTION at the end of
the engagement. Please consider using the
format of gathering students into a talking circle
(see below).
Tuesday,
Jan. 20th
Time TBA
Second
Assembly to
launch the first
line of inquiry
(We learn about
ourselves and
our community
through story).
This assembly will follow up on our reading of
The Little Hummingbird, and launch our first
school wide engagement; a gallery walk of
images from the story.
Large images from the story will be posted in the
halls. Each class will receive sticky notes and
everyone is asked to please sign up for a time
that works for your class schedule to take a tour
of the images.
Teachers will request that students stop and view
each image and ask:
What connections can you make to the story?
Students will write/draw connections on the
sticky notes to be placed around the images on
the walls. These will then be added to our School
Inquiry Wall.
We ask that there is a REFLECTION at the end of
the engagement. Please consider using the
format of gathering students into a talking circle
(see below).
January 2630
(Tentative
dates to be
set)
In-Class Visits (in
grade-level
groups):
Elder Visit
Connecting to our line of inquiry (Land connects
us to history), we invited an elder to visit classes
throughout the course of a couple days to share
stories.
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We ask that there is a REFLECTION at the end of
the engagement. Please consider using the
format of gathering students into a talking circle
(see below).
RESOURCES
First Peoples’ Principles of Learning
You can access all of these principles at the following link:
http://www.fnesc.ca/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/PIPEL-6342c-FNESC-LearningFirst-Peoples-poster-11x17.pdf
Talking Circle
The following link provides information:
http://firstnationspedagogy.ca/circletalks.htmlcircle
A simple way to perform a talking circle is to select an object to pass around. Something natural
such as: a stick, smooth stone or large shell is best. Let students know that everyone is
respected while in this circle and that we show our respect by listening carefully to the speaker
with open ears, eyes and hearts. Let students know that everyone will have an opportunity to
share their thoughts. When the object is in their hands, it is their turn to speak. Everyone must
patiently wait their turn. The teacher could begin and model an example of how to share a
reflection. Students are permitted to simply pass the object to the next person if they do not
want to orally contribute at that time.
Literature
Flight of the Hummingbird-Haida Manga:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=naj6zZakgEg
We will continue to keep you informed about the next learning engagements and assemblies on
the horizon. We have organized an additional engagement to facilitate the inquiry into art and
have invited a local First People’s drummer to participate in music classes for a date to be set in
February. We appreciate your participation and hope that you find these learning
engagements and information useful as you proceed with the curricula.
Warmest Regards,
Hollyburn Aboriginal Enhancement Committee
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(Tara, Jeff, Lorraine, Doni and Charity; everyone is welcome to join!)
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